The present invention relates to an electrical connector. More specifically, the present invention relates to a connector socket used in conjunction with a connector plug.
Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a car stereo. A well-known method for preventing car stereos from being stolen from a parked car involves a front panel Y that is detachable from a main stereo unit X. When the car is parked, front panel Y, on which buttons and the like are mounted, is removed and carried.
Referring to the dotted lines with double dashes in FIG. 5, a removable hinge can be attached to one side of main stereo unit X, which is longer horizontally than vertically.
Referring to FIG. 6, a connector plug P and a connector socket S are disposed on front panel Y and main stereo unit X, respectively, to provide electrical contact between main stereo unit X and front panel Y.
A connector socket S used in this manner includes a connector mold A that is longer horizontally than vertically. A horizontal plug insertion opening C is formed on the surface of connector mold A to receive a plug section B of connector plug P, which is attached to the back surface of front panel Y.
A plurality of connector pairs D1, D2 are disposed within connector mold A in a symmetrical arrangement relative to plug insertion opening C. Connectors D1, D2 include pressure-contact ends d1, which are able to come into contact with plug contacts b of plug section B.
Connector mold A is open on the side facing main stereo unit X. Contacts are mounted in connector mold A from the back side of connector mold A. Positioning projections, formed on attachment bases d2, are fixed to attachment grooves E1, E2, which are disposed from front to back in connector mold A. Pressure-contact ends d1, which are continuous with U-shaped deformation absorbers d3, project into plug insertion opening C.
In conventional contacts D1, D2, external connection terminals d4 are bent vertically at right angles, into the dashed position shown, after attachment base d2 is attached to attachment grooves E1, E2. External connection terminals d4 are then soldered in main stereo unit X to the printed circuit substrate or the like to which connector mold A is fixed.
Some recent car stereos use a "bottom hinge" to attach front panel Y to main stereo unit X as indicated in the dotted lines with single dashes from FIG. 5. However, in this type of front panel Y with a bottom hinge, the plug section of the connector plug is inserted into plug insertion opening C via an arcuate path with a relatively proximal center of rotation. This requires plug insertion opening C to have a wider opening, thus increasing the chance of contacts D1, D2, which are positioned inside plug insertion opening C, coming into contact with foreign objects such as fingers.
If a statically charged finger or the like comes into direct contact with contacts D1, D2, the static charge at the fingertip flows from contacts D1, D2 to the circuit within main stereo unit X possibly damaging the internal circuit.